Beit Ummar
Encyclopedia
Beit Ummar is an Arab town located eleven kilometers northwest of Hebron
in the Hebron Governorate
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
, in 2007, the town had a population of 13,348 inhabitants. Over 4,800 residents of the town are under the age of 18. Since the Second Intifada, unemployment ranges between 60 to 80 percent due mostly to the inability of residents to work in Israel
and a depression in the Palestinian economy. A part of the city straddles Road 60 and due to this, several propositions of house demolition have occurred.
Beit Ummar is mostly agricultural and is noted for its many grape vines. This has a major aspect on their culinary tradition of stuffed grape leaves known as waraq al-'inib
and a grape syrup called dibs. Beit Ummar also has cherry, plum, apple and olive orchards.
ic Caliph
Umar ibn al-Khattab who supposedly frequented the town. Many of the town's residents are descendants of Arab Christian families and the old city contains Christian ruins.
in Beit Ummar houses the tomb of Nabi Matta or Amittai
, father of Jonah
. Mujir ad-Din
writes that Matta was "a holy man from the people of the house of the prophecy." Nearby Halhul
houses the tomb of Jonah with the inscription reading "Yunus
ibn Matta" or "Jonah son of Amittai", confirming that Matta is indeed the Arabic name for Amittai and the Beit Ummar tomb is dedicated to Amittai.
In 1226, the Ayyubid sultan al-Mu'azzam
built a mosque with a minaret
under the supervision of Jerusalem governor Rashid ad-Din al-Mu'azzami. The Mamluk
s constructed some additions to the mosque and engraved several inscriptions on its surface.
. The current mayor is Nasri Sabarna. The town is currently located in Areas B (civil affairs administered by the PNA) and C (civil and military affairs controlled by Israel
).
The town is governed by a municipal council
consisting of thirteen members including the mayor.
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
in the Hebron Governorate
Hebron Governorate
The Hebron Governorate is an administrative district of the Palestinian National Authority in the southern West Bank. It extends south to, and includes most of, the Dead Sea....
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is the statistical organization under the umbrella of the Palestinian Cabinet of the Palestinian National Authority....
, in 2007, the town had a population of 13,348 inhabitants. Over 4,800 residents of the town are under the age of 18. Since the Second Intifada, unemployment ranges between 60 to 80 percent due mostly to the inability of residents to work in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and a depression in the Palestinian economy. A part of the city straddles Road 60 and due to this, several propositions of house demolition have occurred.
Beit Ummar is mostly agricultural and is noted for its many grape vines. This has a major aspect on their culinary tradition of stuffed grape leaves known as waraq al-'inib
Dolma
Dolma is a family of stuffed vegetable dishes in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and surrounding regions such as Russia, Middle East and the Caucasus and Central and South Asia. Perhaps the best-known is the grape-leaf dolma. Common vegetables to stuff include onion, zucchini, eggplant,...
and a grape syrup called dibs. Beit Ummar also has cherry, plum, apple and olive orchards.
History
Beit Ummar is believed to be the site of Biblical village of Maarath. The modern town was named after the IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Umar ibn al-Khattab who supposedly frequented the town. Many of the town's residents are descendants of Arab Christian families and the old city contains Christian ruins.
Mosque of Nabi Matta
The main mosqueMosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Beit Ummar houses the tomb of Nabi Matta or Amittai
Amittai
- In Islam :Amittai is also mentioned in Islam in Prophet Muhammad's Hadith, in which Muhammad emphasizes upon the belief that all prophets are equal in their importance and greatness:...
, father of Jonah
Jonah
Jonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
. Mujir ad-Din
Mujir al-Din al-'Ulaymi
Mujīr al-Dīn al-'Ulaymī , often simply Mujir al-Din, was a Jerusalemite qadi and Arab historian whose principal work chronicled the history of Jerusalem and Hebron in the Middle Ages. Entitled al-Uns al-Jalil bi-tarikh al-Quds wal-Khalil Mujīr al-Dīn al-'Ulaymī (Arabic: ) (1456–1522), often...
writes that Matta was "a holy man from the people of the house of the prophecy." Nearby Halhul
Halhul
Halhul is a Palestinian city located in the southern West Bank, north of Hebron in the Hebron Governorate. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the city had a population of 22,108 mostly Muslim inhabitants in 2007.- History :...
houses the tomb of Jonah with the inscription reading "Yunus
Yunus
Yunus is a common male given name, it may refer to:-Given name:* Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu, Turkish journalist* Younes Ahamdi , Moroccan judoka* Younis Ahmed, Pakistani cricketer...
ibn Matta" or "Jonah son of Amittai", confirming that Matta is indeed the Arabic name for Amittai and the Beit Ummar tomb is dedicated to Amittai.
In 1226, the Ayyubid sultan al-Mu'azzam
Al-Mu'azzam
Al-Mu'azzam 'Isa Sharaf ad-Din was an Ayyubid Sultan who ruled Damascus from 1218 to 1227. The son of Sultan Al-Adil I and nephew of Saladin, founder of the dynasty, Al-Mu'azzam was installed by his father as governor of Damascus in 1201. After his father's death in 1218, Al-Mu'azzam ruled the...
built a mosque with a minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
under the supervision of Jerusalem governor Rashid ad-Din al-Mu'azzami. The Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
s constructed some additions to the mosque and engraved several inscriptions on its surface.
Government
The town became a municipality on April 17, 1997 after the dismantlement of the Israeli village council and Hussein Badr was appointed by the Palestinian National AuthorityPalestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
. The current mayor is Nasri Sabarna. The town is currently located in Areas B (civil affairs administered by the PNA) and C (civil and military affairs controlled by Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
).
The town is governed by a municipal council
Municipality (Palestinian Authority)
In the territories administrated by the Palestinian Authority, a municipality is an administrative unit of local government similar to a city. They were established and decided after the creation of the Local Government Ministry of the Palestinian National Authority in 1994. All municipalities are...
consisting of thirteen members including the mayor.
